For sealing off an opening between a shaft and a split bearing housing, sealing devices have been used which are in the form of sealing rings comprising a main body and a sealing lip, with the sealing rings being divided in two halves by virtue of a diametrical cut.
When such a known sealing device is mounted in a bearing housing, one seal half is positioned in a groove at an opening in the lower bearing housing half and the shaft is positioned in the opening. Afterwards, the other seal half is positioned in a groove in the upper bearing housing half and the upper bearing housing half is positioned over the lower half. Then, the two bearing housing halves are pressed against each other.
Unfortunately, problems exist with this type of sealing device in that the sealing function can be relatively easily reduced to a significant extent or virtually lost. The sealing lip which engages the shaft when the two bearing housing halves are pressed against each other is weak and has a tendency of becoming partially folded during assembly. This folding motion is quite difficult, if not virtually impossible, to visually detect as the lip is normally hidden by the bearing housing. However, it will be apparent that the lip has been folded because the sealing function of the lip is significantly reduced or lost.
For other purposes, other known types of sealing devices have ben employed. These sealing devices function in ways other than that described above, for example by being provided with a plurality of sealing lips to ensure good sealing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,908,249 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,720 disclose sealing devices in the form of sealing rings provided with a plurality of sealing lips that are intended to be brought into sealing engagement against a bearing assembly. However, these sealing devices are used in specific applications. For example, the sealing device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,720 relates to neck seals of the type employed on the roll necks of rolls in a rolling mill. The neck seal is intended to prevent water from infiltrating into the bearing and contaminating the bearing oil while at the same time preventing loss of oil from the bearing.